An event-related potential investigation of pattern separation and pattern completion processes.

Long-term declarative memory depends on pattern separation and pattern completion to maintain memory specificity. Previous studies aimed at evaluating the underlying neuronal substrates of these computational processes have used a mnemonic discrimination paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). An alternative method is electroencephalography and event-related potentials (ERPs), which have a superior time resolution to fMRI.